mSU SCICOMM
Michigan State University's
Science Communication Organization
Shelby Dechow
What was the inspiration behind your artwork?
The inspiration behind my artwork was to take a boring, everyday laboratory object – albeit important to my microbiology work – and add a pop of color. Blue and yellow are primary colors that when combined form green – a secondary color. I sought to combine this example of color theory with an object that is symbolic to the lab (i.e. the Erlenmeyer flask) in a painting that is representative of my passion for both art and science.
What do you see as the similarity between science and art? Why is science-art important in today's society?
I feel that science and art are people’s way to interpret the world around them. Both fields seek to define human observation, feeling, and/or experiences. In my personal convictions, I feel that one cannot have art without science, nor science without art. For example, science helps us to understand the concepts of light and color, while art helps integrate creativity and design principles into scientific solutions.
Get to know the artist!
Shelby Dechow is a fifth year Ph.D. student at Michigan State University, originally from Omaha, NE. She received a B.S. in Biotechnology and a B.A. in German Language Studies from the University of Nebraska - Omaha. In graduate school, Shelby studies the genetic and chemical biology of pH-driven adaptations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis under the guidance of Dr. Robert Abramovitch. When Shelby is not doing research, she enjoys hiking, painting, reading, and watching Netflix with her cat.
Get in touch!
No contact information provided 😥
